Manila, July 7 -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday said the government's price cap on 5-percent broken imported rice has contributed to lower retail prices and helped ease inflation in the country.

The DA made the statement after the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that headline inflation slowed to 6.4 percent in June, down from 6.8 percent in May.

In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the continued slowdown in food inflation provides relief to Filipinos, particularly those from vulnerable sectors.

"The latest inflation numbers show that keeping food affordable delivers real benefits to Filipino families, especially those who spend a large portion of their income on basic neces...